Building unit and method of constructing buildings therewith

ABSTRACT

A building unit for constructing a wall, a ceiling, a floor, or a roof includes a metal rail, and insulating panel, and an elongated linear stud. The metal rail has a flat surface and at least one flange extending from the flat surface. The insulating panel has a front surface and a back surface bounded by opposing edges. It is made of rigid foamed plastic and it has at least one primary linear passageway extending through it between and perpendicular to two opposing edges. At least one of the opposing edges can be attached to the metal rail. The elongated linear stud has two ends that can be fixed to the rail. The stud fits into the primary linear passageway and is at least as long as the primary linear passageway. Another similar metal rail may be attached to the other end of the stud. The panel may include a second linear passageway that is at right angles to the primary linear passageway. A linear metal strap fits into the second linear passageway. The panel may also include a utility passageway that is supported by a pipe for carrying utilities. A corner post may be used to hold the rails and panels at right angles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from provisional applications No.60/687,651, filed Jun. 6, 2005, No. 60/687,725, filed Jun. 6, 2005, No.60/690,902, filed Jun. 16, 2005, No. 60/692,615, filed Jun. 22, 2005,and No. 60/699,348, filed Jul. 15, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related to a building unit that includes a panel, arail, and a stud and to a method of constructing buildings with it. Inparticular, it relates to an insulating panel having at least onepassageway therethrough, where the panel is inserted into a rail and astud is placed within the passageway.

A number of inventions have been made for the construction of steelframe buildings using pre-fabricated panels. Generally, a concrete slabis poured that has bolts imbedded in it. Rails are secured by nuts tothe bolts and vertical steel studs are screwed to the rails. Anotherrail is screwed to the top of the studs. Rigid wall panels are thenscrewed to both sides of the studs and the surfaces are finished off.This process requires skilled workers and is very labor intensive. It isalso not compatible with a cheap and simple method of insulating thewall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In this invention, a special insulating panel of foamed plastic is used.The panel is provided with passageways, or channels for forming thepassageways, and may also be provided with passageways supported by atube for carrying utilities. The panels are placed in rails and studsare placed in the passageways, or in the channels that will formpassageways, and the studs are attached to the rails. Finally, the wallis covered with a coating or a board to form the finished surface.

This invention requires no significant modifications to the steel framedesigns now being used; most of the same blueprints and steel materialsmay be used. However, it is much less expensive as skilled workers arenot needed and there is less labor involved. Unlike prior construction,in this invention an enclosure is insulated by the panels themselves, sono additional insulation, or work installing insulation, is required.

The panels also serve as a very accurate alignment tool for theplacement of the studs and straps. Channels and passage ways machined ona rigid plastic foam panel may be as precise as ±0.5 mm, using highspeed cutting machines. This accuracy makes it possible to buildstructures with the accuracy of a computer assisted drawing (CAD) designtool, which is practically impossible with any conventional technologyavailable today. Though the term “passageway” is used extensively in theinvention body, it is not necessary to have the studs and straps fullysurrounded by plastic foam of the panel. The outer surface of the studsand straps may be level with the surface of the panel, then a coating orboard may be applied over the panel and studs or straps, although it isnot preferred.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view, partially cut away, of a certain presentlypreferred embodiment illustrating a wall building unit according to thisinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the area “II” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the area “III” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area “IV” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the area “V” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area “VI” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the area “VII” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view, partially cut away, of a certain presentlypreferred embodiment of a foamed plastic panels for a wall buildingunit.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of area “IX” in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged top view of the area “X” in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of another preferred embodimentillustrating a wall building unit according to this invention.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of area “XII” in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view, partially cut away, of yet another certainpresently preferred embodiment of a wall building unit according to thisinvention.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of area “XIV” in FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. 1 to 7, a wall-forming building unit 1 according to thisinvention includes, inter alia, a base rail 3, an insulating panel 5,and a metal stud 6. Base rail 3 (FIG. 5) has two flanges 3 a thatproject perpendicularly from flat portion 3 b. Flat portion 3 b has anumber of apertures 3 c aligned with bolts 2 that are embedded inconcrete foundation 1. Nuts 4 secure base rail 3 to foundation 1 (FIG.5). Top rail 7 (FIG. 2 ) may be similar to base rail 3, having twoflanges 7 a projecting perpendicularly from flat portion 7 b. Screws 9,or other fasteners, secure studs 6 to base rail 3 and to top rail 7.

FIG. 1 illustrates both the use of passageways that are formed inmanufacturing panel 5 and channels that are formed in panel 5, thenlater (after joining the crossing steel members, using screws or othermeans) filled to form passageways. FIG. 2 shows a vertical passageway 5a. into which has been inserted a stud 6. FIG. 4 shows a horizontalchannel 5 b. in which has been placed a horizontal metal strap 8. Strap8 is later covered with patch 5 c of the panel material, or othersuitable material, to form horizontal passageway 5 d. Also in FIG. 4,stud 6 was placed in the vertical channel 5 e and another patch 10 a wasplaced over it later to form vertical passageway 5 g. Where the studsand straps intersect (FIG. 4) they are joined together by means ofscrews 9 or other means, such as bolts, rivets, welding or adhesive.

If passageways are formed in manufacturing panels 5, instead of channelsthat are later made into passageways, there are apertures 5 h in panels5 at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical passageways (FIG.3). After studs 4 and rails 3 and 7 have been joined together where theyintersect, plugs 5 i, that are preferably level with the surface ofpanel 5, are inserted into apertures 5 h.

Panel 5 may also have one or more horizontal and/or vertical passageways5 j that are lined with a tube 24 for holding utilities (FIGS. 6, 1 3,and 14). Utilities may include hot or cold air, hot or cold water, gas,telephone, cable, electricity, etc. The utility passageways may passbeside studs 6 or may pass though openings 6 b in studs 6 (FIG. 14).

Corner wall 5 k (FIG. 7) may consist of a an L-shaped EPS panel intowhich one or more vertical studs 6 and 6 a on which is attached an “L”shaped piece of rail 7 a at the top and 3 a at the bottom to which baserail 3 and top rail 7 may be attached. Horizontal straps 8 are attachedto corner studs 6 and 6 a by screws 9 or other means.

If two or more panels are juxtaposed between corner posts, one may beprovided with protuberance 5 m that fits into indentation 51 (FIG. 10)of the adjoining panel. The protuberances and the indentations theyengage may have various designs, including a ridge in one panel thatfits into a channel in the other panel, a column of knobs in one panelthat fits into holes in the other panel.

A rigid board 14 such as cementitious board, fiber cement, gypsum,oriented strand board (OSB), foil isolative board, wood board, andplywood, or similar rigid skin material could be laminated usingadhesive 13 on a rigid plastic foam 5, with preformed channels 5 e , onthe surface to create passageways, where cold formed steel members maybeinserted later (FIGS. 11 and 12).

The Rail

The rail is an elongated metal piece. It is preferably made of steel forstrength, but other metals, such as aluminum or metal alloys, could alsobe used. A rail may be of any length, but it is preferably at least aslong as the edge of one of the panels it will support. For example, arail may be about 0.5 to about 20 feet long and is preferably about 4 toabout 10 feet long. Several rails may be used end-to-end to form a wall,floor, ceiling, or roof.

The rail performs the function of attaching the panel to a supportingstructure of the building, such as to a foundation or to walls. Toperform that function, the rail preferably has, in cross-section, a flatsurface that can be attached to the flat surface of a foundation or walland at least one flange extending perpendicularly from that flat surfaceto which the studs may be attached and also for supporting the panel.The flat surface is preferably provided with apertures that are alignedwith bolts embedded in the concrete, or that are aligned with bolts inanother supporting structure of the building, so that the rails may beeasily attached to the supporting structure. While the rail may have, incross-section, a “T” shape, or an “L” shape with a single flangeextending from the flat surface, or another shape, it preferably has a“U” shape, as shown in the drawings, so that the studs are supported onboth sides.

The rail, if made of steel, should have a thickness of the metal ofabout 0.002 to about 0.2 inches. Thinner rails may bend and thickerrails are more costly and usually unnecessary. The flat portion of therail may be about 2 to about 10 inches wide and is preferably about 3 toabout 6 inches wide. If a “U” shaped rail is used, the inside bottom ofthe “U” should be just wide enough so that the stud it will support fitssnugly into the “U.” The flanges are preferably provided with aperturesinto which may be inserted screws, bolts, rivets, or the like to holdthe stud to the rail.

The same rails that are used for wall panels may be used for floor,ceiling, or roof panels, but they are mounted with their flangesextending horizontally or diagonally (for a roof or ceiling) instead ofvertically. But if the floor, ceiling, or roof panels are sturdier thanthe wall panels, it may be necessary to use heavier or wider rails.

Studs and Straps

The studs are elongated, linear, and two dimensional in cross-section,so that they resist bending in two directions that are at right angles;they are preferably “C” shaped in cross-section, but may also have othershapes, such as “u,” a square, a z , a rectangle, or “T” shaped. Thestraps, however, are preferably only one dimension in cross-sectionbecause two dimensional straps are not needed, though they may be usedif desired, and they require additional space.

The studs may have any dimensions, but typically studs will be about 1to about 20 feet long and about 3 to about 10 inches in width and about1 to 2 inches in depth. C shaped studs are widely used which also has aflange which is between about 0.25 and about 2 inches wide. The metalmay have a thickness of about 0.02 to about 0.2 inches. The straps mayhave a thickness of about 0.02 to about 0.2 inches and a width of about1 to about 10 inches. Studs and straps that are commercially availablemay be used and it is not necessary to design special studs or straps.

The studs and straps are preferably made of metal, such as steel,aluminum, and metal alloys; steel is the preferred metal due to itsstrength. Other materials, such as wood, may also be used if desired.Studs and straps may be galvanized or painted for rust resistance.

The Corner Posts

The corner posts may be constructed in a variety of ways. Each cornerpost preferably includes (1) one or more studs for support, (2) an “L”shaped piece of rail mounted perpendicularly to the stud at the top andbottom of the stud, to which the top and bottom rails may be attached,and (3) two rails parallel to the stud and perpendicular to each otherto which the metal straps may be attached. In another embodiment, the“L” shaped piece of rail and the rails parallel to the stud may beomitted and the straps and top and bottom rails may be attached directlyto the stud.

The Panels

The panels are made from a rigid foamed plastic and, as such, they areheat-insulating, and are usually electrically insulating as well.Preferably, they are also fire-retardant or fire-resistant; that is,while they may burn at a high enough temperature, they preferably willnot spread the flames. This may be accomplished by the addition of flameretardants to the plastic and/or by using a non-flammable gas, such ascarbon dioxide, to expand the foam. Examples of plastics that may beused include polystyrene, polyurethane and soy based foams. Thepreferred plastic is polystyrene, because it is cheap, structurallystrong and highly isolative. Particularly useful products are expandedpolystyrene (“EPS”) and extruded polystyrene (“XPS”) which are soldcommercially by Owens Corning, Tremco, Dryvit, 3M, and other companies.

The thickness of the panel will depend upon the amount of insulationthat is desired and other factors, such as the size of the studs. As anexample, the panels may be about 6 to about 18 inches thick, and athickness of about 3 to about 24 inches is preferred. The panels arethicker than the studs plus the straps so that the studs and straps arecompletely enclosed within the thickness of the panels. The panels willnormally be thicker than the rails and will have grooves that theflange(s) of the rails fit into so that they cover the rails, as shownin the drawings. Preferably, the panels are also thick enough tocompletely enclose any utility pipes.

The panels will normally be rectangular, as that makes for the easiestconstruction, but other shapes may be used for special designs. Thewidth and length of a rectangular panel will also depend upon designrequirements, but panels that are about 1 to about 12 feet wide andabout ½ to about 20 feet long may be used; a width of about 0.5 feet toabout 10 feet and a length of about 0.5 to about 9 feet are preferred.

Each panel is provided with at least one primary linear passageway, orchannel for forming a primary passageway, into which will be placed astud. Since the studs are linear (i.e., straight) and will be attachedto rails at opposite ends of the panel, the passageways for the studsmust have a size and shape that the studs will fit into, must be linear,and must extend all the way through the panel, from one end to theother, except in locations such as windows and doors. Normally, thepassageways will be perpendicular to two opposing ends of a rectangularpanel. If the panel is to be used as a wall panel, the width of thepanel will normally be greater than the distance between two studs, andtherefore a panel will usually have at least one vertical passageways Itmay have, for example, 1 to 10 vertical passageways. These verticalpassageways may be any distance apart (less than the width of the panel,of course), but are preferably centered about 5 to about 20 inches apartas vertical studs are commonly on 16″ centers.

The panels may also be provided with one or more secondary linearpassageways, or channels for forming secondary passageways, that areperpendicular to the above-described primary passageways. For a wallpanel, for example, there may be secondary passageways for holdingstraps as well as vertical primary passageways for holding studs, asshown in the drawings. Usually, the secondary passageways in a wallpanel will be horizontal, but they may also be diagonal if desired.Where the two passageways cross, there may be an opening in the panelthat extends to one or both surfaces of the panel so that stud and strapwithin the passageways can be joined together at that intersection. If apanel has both primary and secondary passageways, there will normally bemore primary passageways than secondary passageways. Also, the primaryand secondary passageways will not both be centered within the panel,but will be off-set (as shown in the drawings), so that when the studsplaced in the primary passageways they pass by the straps placed in thesecondary passageways.

The panels may further have one or more utility passageways for carryingvarious utilities. The utility passageways are lined with a tube, whichmay be plastic, metal, or other materials, depending upon what iscarried within the tube. Utility passageways may be molded or machinedinto the panels when they are manufactured and may be provided withconnectors at the ends so that they can be connected to the utilitypassageways of adjoining panels.

The passageways may be formed either by molding them into the panel whenit is made or by machining a channel open to one surface into the panelwhen it is made, then covering the channel with a patch after a stud orstrap has been placed in it. The latter is preferred as it is easier tomanufacture a panel with channels than with passageways.

Assembling the Building

The building is assembled using the building units of this invention byfirst attaching the rails to a support. For the lowest floor, thesupport is usually the foundation, which has bolts embedded in it. Therails are provided with holes that line up with the bolts. They areplaced over the bolts and nuts are screwed onto the bolts. The supportcould also be a higher floor or something that is not a foundation, suchas a wall. If floor, ceiling, or roof panels are to be installed, therails and corner posts are attached to a support in the same way, buthorizontally around the building.

The panels are then placed in and/or over the channels of the rails andare temporarily held in place, if necessary, by means of an adhesive ormechanical clamping. Once the panels are in place, the studs and strapsare placed within the passageways or channels and are secured to therails and corner posts and to each other by screws, bolts, rivets, orother means. If desired, or if channels are used instead of passagewaysformed during manufacturing, the studs and straps may be inserted intothe passageways after the panels have been mounted on the rails.

A glue or filler may be used to fill any space between the passagewaysand the studs and/or straps to ensure a tight fit and prevent movementof the panels. The surface of the studs may be coated with someexpandable adhesive such as a moisture sensitive adhesive. The walls ofthe passageways in the panels may be pre-moisturized. Whenadhesive-coated studs are inserted, the adhesive may expand and create atight contact between studs and straps and the plastic foam. An exampleof such an adhesive is “Gorilla” adhesive, which is sold almost in mosthardware stores. Patches are then installed in the top of the channelsand patches are installed at the intersections of the studs and straps.

Finally, a board is attached over the panels by adhesive or other meansor the panels are coated by spraying polymer modified cement, preferablywith the addition of some glass or metal fiber mesh for increased impactresistance. The outermost surface then could be painted or decoratedwith decorative features such as bricks, stones, or tiles.

1. A building unit for a wall, ceiling, floor, or roof comprising (A) ametal rail having a flat surface and at least one flange extending fromsaid flat surface; (B) an insulating panel having a front surface and aback surface bounded by opposing edges, made of rigid foamed plastic andhaving at least one primary linear passageway extending therethroughbetween and perpendicular to two opposing edges, where at least one ofsaid opposing edges is attachable to said metal rail; and (C) anelongated linear stud having two ends, where said stud fits into saidprimary linear passageway, is at least as long as said primary linearpassageway, and one end of which can be fixed to said rail.
 2. Abuilding unit according to claim 1 wherein said panel is formed with atleast one linear channel open to said front surface that extends betweentwo opposing edges, including a patch placed within the outermostportion of said channel, thereby forming said passageway therebeneath.3. A building unit according to claim 1 including a coating over saidfacing surface.
 4. A building unit according to claim 3 wherein saidcoating is a polymer-modified cement containing a mesh support.
 5. Abuilding unit according to claim 1 wherein a rigid board is attachedover at least one surface of said panel.
 6. A building unit according toclaim 5 wherein said rigid board is selected from the group consistingof cementitious board, fiber cement, gypsum, oriented strand board, foilisolative board, wood board, and plywood
 7. A building unit according toclaim 1 including a second metal rail having a flat surface and at leastone flange extending from said flat surface, where the other end of saidstud can be fixed to said second metal rail.
 8. A building panelaccording to claim 1 wherein said foamed plastic is polystyrene.
 9. Abuilding unit according to claim 1 including an additional panel, whereone of said panels has an edge that has an indention and the other ofsaid panels has an edge that has a protuberance that is insertable intosaid indentation.
 10. A building unit according to claim 1 wherein saidpanel has at least one passageway that extends between opposing edgesthat is supported by a tube.
 11. A building unit according to claim 1including at least one secondary linear passageway that intersects atright angles at least one primary linear passageway, where said panelhas an opening to a surface for access to the intersection of saidprimary linear passageway and said secondary linear passageway.
 12. Abuilding unit according to claim 11, including an elongated linear metalstrap that fits within said secondary linear passageway and is at leastas long as said secondary linear passageway.
 13. A building unitaccording to claim 1 including a corner post to which two of said panelsat right angles and two of said metal rails at right angles areattachable.
 14. A building unit according to claim 13 wherein saidcorner post has an “L” shaped piece of rail mounted perpendicularly tosaid corner post at the top and bottom thereof, to which top and bottomrails may be attached, and two rails parallel to said post andperpendicular to each other, to which metal straps may be attached. 15.A method of constructing a wall, ceiling, floor, or roof using abuilding unit according to claim 1 comprising (A) securing said metalrail to a support for said building; (B) attaching an edge said panel tosaid metal rail; (C) placing said stud within said passageway; and (D)attaching said stud to said metal rail.
 16. A method according to claim15 wherein said support is the foundation of said building.
 17. Abuilding unit for making a wall comprising (A) a base linear metal railand a top linear metal rail, each having a flat surface and two flangesthat extend from said flat surface; (B) at least two rectangular rigidfoamed plastic insulating panels, each having (1) a front surface and aback surface bounded by left and right vertical edges and by top andbottom horizontal edges, where a left vertical edge of one of saidpanels has at least one indentation and a right vertical edge of theother of said panels has at least one protuberance that fits into saidindentation, and where said bottom horizontal edge of said panels isattachable to said base linear metal rail and said top horizontal edgeof said panels is attachable to said top linear metal rail; (2) at leastone vertical linear passageway that extends through said panel from onehorizontal edge to the other; and (3) at least one horizontal linearpassageway that extends through said panel from one vertical edge to theother vertical edge, where the horizontal linear passageways of said atleast two panels are aligned; (C) an elongated linear metal strap thatfits into and extends through a horizontal linear passageway; (E) anelongated linear metal stud that fits into and extends through avertical linear passageway and is attachable to said base linear metalrail and to said top linear metal rail, whereby said metal studintersects said metal strap; (F) means for attaching said metal stud tosaid metal strap where they intersect; and (G) a covering for eachsurface of said panel.
 18. A building panel according to claim 17wherein said covering is a board that is adhesively attached to asurface of said panel.
 19. A building panel according to claim 17wherein said covering is a coating of a polymer-modified cementcontaining a mesh support.
 20. A building unit for making a wallcomprising (A) two base linear metal rails and two top linear metalrails, each having a flat surface and two flanges that extend from saidflat surface; (B) two rectangular insulating panels made of rigid foamedplastic each having (1) a front surface and a back surface bounded byleft and right vertical edges and by top and bottom horizontal edges,where the bottom horizontal edge of said panels is attachable to saidbase linear metal rail and the top horizontal edge of said panels isattachable to said top linear metal rail; (2) at least one verticallinear passageway that extends through said panel from said bottomhorizontal edge to said top horizontal edge; and (3) at least onehorizontal linear passageway that extends through said panel from saidleft vertical edge to said right vertical edge, where said horizontallinear passageways of said at least two panels are aligned; (C) avertical corner post having means for attaching at right angles (1) saidtwo base rails; (2) said two top rails; (3) the right edge of one panel;and (4) the left edge of the other panel; (D) an elongated linear metalstrap that fits into and extends through a horizontal linear passageway;(E) an elongated linear metal stud that fits into and extends through avertical linear passageway and is attachable to said base linear metalrail and to said top linear metal rail, whereby said metal studintersects said metal strap; (F) means for attaching said metal stud tosaid metal strap where they intersect; and (G) a covering for eachsurface of said panel.